Arrow: Stephen Amell Teases Talia al Ghul’s Introduction

Arrow has seen the show return to its street-based roots in season 5, focusing less on dangers that impact the world at large and more on localized enemies like the newly introduced Prometheus. Mix this in with The CW’s upcoming crossover event that encompasses all of the network’s DC shows (The Flash, Supergirl, and Legends of Tomorrow) and mostly positive critical reception, and Arrow could be in the midst of a comeback season.

While Arrow has steadily been introducing new characters this season, there’s one major addition that fans were promised: Talia al Ghul. Lexa Doig was recently cast in the role and is slated to make her debut in episode 10, “Who Are You?” as a recurring guest star. What’s been left unclear, however, is how she’ll exactly fit into the show’s narrative. Thanks to Arrow star, Stephen Amell, we may finally have a piece of the puzzle.

Per TVLine, Amell has revealed that Talia al Ghul will play a pivotal role in moving the flashback story forward. Though the actor was stingy with providing details, he did seem to indicate that it will somehow interconnect with the Prometheus story line. The full quote from Amell can be read below:

“We learn about Talia before we meet her — and she is, I think, our gateway to really accelerating the flashback story line.”

Admittedly it’s not the most thorough answer, but the implications are certainly interesting. It might be surprising for some fans to learn that she’ll impact the flashback storyline more than the current one, but the quote doesn’t exactly rule out the possibility of an appearance in present-day Arrow. With Doig becoming a guest toward the middle of season 5 as well, it’s hard to imagine that she’ll be simply relegated to the flashback scenes exclusively, but only time will tell.

Given Doig’s long history in both starring and recurring television roles – from Continuum to Stargate SG-1 – she could prove to be a valuable asset for the show as either an antihero of sorts, or straight up villain. Still, some fans may have complaints over yet another prominent Batman character making their way into the Arrowverse and producing a half-baked caped crusader storyline with Green Arrow taking the reins instead. There’s still a big possibility that Arrow provides its own twist on Talia’s mythology and her connection to Batman, who presumably doesn’t yet exist in this world, and makes it fit into the tone of the show.